Jefferson County kills crime lab, asks Ford Park to cut costs

Published 12:00 am, Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Jefferson County commissioners are discussing the budget for Jack Brooks Regional Airport and other issues during their budget hearings. Pete Churton/The Enterprise

Jefferson County commissioners are discussing the budget for Jack Brooks Regional Airport and other issues during their budget hearings. Pete Churton/The Enterprise

Photo: Beaumont

Jefferson County kills crime lab, asks Ford Park to cut costs

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Budget discussions for Jefferson County continued Tuesday, with commissioners asking all department heads to make cuts in their combined $118 million requests in hopes to avoid raising the county's tax rate.

This week, commissioners are hearing budget proposals from county department heads for the 2010-2011 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

The county is expecting to save $820,000 on vehicles for the Sheriff's Department. Sheriff Mitch Woods and county commissioners agreed to use money from the Sheriff's Department's drug seizures to purchase vehicles instead of using money from the county's general fund.

A proposal to remodel the county's existing 5,000-square-foot Crime Lab and add a DNA lab to the facility, located in the county jail complex on U.S. 69, has been tabled until next budget season, county judge-elect Jeff Branick said.

Crime Lab Director Linda Johnson said the engineering firm commissioners agreed to pay to develop a design for the expansion project is currently working on the plan. Commissioners voted to pay Sigma Engineers $98,000 in May.

Ford Park will cut its employee wages and general manager John Hughes agreed to cut his advertising budget from $38,000 to approximately $15,000. That's a significant cut from last year's $50,000 advertising budget.